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According to UNICEF, the Government of Maharashtra, needs funds to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore to bridge gaps between the current state of infrastructure and the desired levels in schools in the state as per RTE (Right to Education) Act 2009.
UNICEF in partnership with the Government is engaged in analysing data collected and submitted by education officers of every district in the state.
Schools are judged basis ten infrastructure parameters; building, head master's room, one classroom per teacher, ramp for disabled, separate washrooms for girls and boys, drinking water facility, kitchen shed, boundary wall and playground.
A two-day RTE stock-taking workshop was arranged by the State Education Department where UNICEF shared data and guidelines as to how can schools better the situation.
"The RTE Act came about in 2009 to be implemented in 2010. There was a three-year deadline given to states to meet the parameters. 31st March 2013 was the last day for it. Hence this workshop has been arranged to take a review of where does Maharashtra stand. In my opinion it is a bold step to come out and to share what all has been done so far,"
said Reshma Agarwal, education specialist, UNICEF.
Maharashtra is the second state apart from Orissa to hold such a review. The state of Chhattishgarh is now next in line to have such a stock-tacking.
According to provisional data, out of 67718 government and local body schools, only 10% schools comply with all the ten parameters.
There is an external third-party which will validate and release the final numbers within a month.
